The Bonehunters/Chapter 6
Y'Ghatan Corabb broods on the presence of Dunsparrow and the corrupting influence he thinks she's having over Leoman of the Flails. They had arrived to find the local garrison turned into a raucous harem where children were bing abused. Leoman had thirty officers put to death on the first day itself. They were now being trained to counter Malazan siege tactics by Dunsparrow. Leoman orders the evacuation of all citizens to the city of Lothal along with all their possessions. He, however, seizes an empire's ransom of olive oil stored in the maethgara. He then heads to the former temple of Scalissara, now dedicated to the Queen of Dreams. Seven Cities In the buried Skykeep, Icarium and Mappo ponder the fate of Sorrit and the warren of Serc, which now has only one ruler. They realize that the pantheon is being made vulnerable. Upon closer inspection, Mappo sees that the dragon had been crucified to a Blackwood cross by Otataral spikes. Icarium believes that the Short-tails did not kill her but that the cross arrived later through Shadow Realm. It was snared by the ritual of Omtose Phellack but the power of the spilled blood and otataral eventually shattered it. Icarium begins to recollect fragments of his memories, confronting Mappo about the truth. Mappo refuses saying that its not so simple. Icarium decides to go find Jaghut in the Jhag Odhan and seek eternal imprisonment. But Mappo thinks that Jaghut will try to kill him and let Hood deal with him. Y'Ghatan Outside the walls, Keneb, Temul and Gall observe the city and the rebels' preparations, noting the desecration of the barrows of Malazan soldiers. All believe that Leoman is preparing for a fatal last-stand, seeking martyrdom. Back in camp, Bottle informs each squad that Captain Faradan Sort has called a meeting of all sergeants in her company at dusk. Gesler arrives with his squad, minus Stormy, who's off scouting the Imperial Warren with Quick Ben and Kalam. Cuttle reveals that, according to rumour, Laseen had pulled back the Claw to Unta and Malaz City, and they would probably lose a lot of sappers in the siege as a result. Bottle moves a little off camp and summons several animals in order to spy on the imminent meeting between the captain and sergeants, thinking that the army felt lost, its core empty. While there, he is pulled into a vision of the Eres'al. He realizes that the goddess had been following the army. He sees that she is pregnant and upon questing recognizes that the child was born in answer to a distant abomination, and is the only pure candidate for a new Throne of Shadow of a healed realm. Its father is Tiste Edur. Believing that she was praying to him, Bottle initially refuses but eventually relents when threatened. The vision ends leaving him rattled. Keneb enters the Adjunct's tent to find that Tene Baralta and Blistig are already present, discussing tactics. The Adjunct asks for Temul's reports on the city but disregards Baralta and Blistig's doubts. She dismisses them and they leave, demoralized. Tavore says that she expects her officers to obey her and that way, no one need answer the Empress except her. She reveals that Dujek's spirit is broken and the Host will not be of help in the siege. She tells him to consider the implications if this is revealed to the Fists. Shocked, Keneb corners Strings, who confirms the Adjunct's words, musing that he'd underestimated her. Kansu Ganoes Paran and Apsalar reach Kansu harbour. She asks him if he's ascended, but Ganoes tells her that he does not feel any different. She tells him about the effects of Ascendancy, warning him that Seven Cities is one of the two most dangerous places in the world - especially for an ascendant. They ride out of the city where Paran informs her that a plague is spreading on the continent and that the priests of D'rek - the foremost healers - have all been found mysteriously slaughtered. Apsalar blames Poliel, commenting that the two of them should have nothing to worry about. Hoping to meet again, Paran rides south and Apsalar proceeds west, accompanied by Telorast and Curdle. Jhag Odhan Karsa Orlong and Samar Dev debate the benefits and downsides of progress and civilization while travelling north across he odhan. Climbing atop a ridge, Karsa smells something peculiar nearby, a predator's lair. Fearful, the witch agrees, saying that the spirits have fled the vicinity. Imperial Warren Kalam is hanging below the base of a skykeep, the magic that Quick Ben used to levitate him there, having mysteriously failed. He makes his way to one side and looks down but finds neither Ben nor Stormy. Perturbed, he calls Cotillion. The god tells him that the skykeep is filled with K'Chain, before letting him down. At the ground, a crevice has opened. Kalam climbs down to find that both men are unconscious, with Stormy badly injured. He slaps Quick awake and they wait while Cotillion comes down. Noting that they were in a former temple of an Elder God, the Rope informs them that Stormy is not quite mortal anymore, having been forged in Kurald Thyrllan or Tellann, or both. He draws Stormy's bones back in line before leaving. Turul'a Escarpment Greyfrog feels intimations of swiftly approaching tragedy in the air and sands and tells Cutter that they must flee. Having never seen the demon so frightened, he wakes the others and the demon's instincts are immediately confirmed by Heboric. Cutter suggests that they finds a more defensible place to camp. Jhag Odhan Climbing atop a ridge in the odhan, Icarium and Mappo are immediately ambushed by multiple creatures. Mappo is attacked by two of these and is unable to aid Icarium, who is swarmed by several others. He breaks the neck of one, only to be pushed off the ridge by the second. He pulls the it with him, recognizing the creatures to be Trolbarahl. 06